Toll-collecting device for telephones.



2 Sheets$heet l.

INVENTOR My, a. 9

A A77'0HNEYS Patented Nov. l3, I900.

. W. A. F 088. TOLL COLLECTING DEVICE FOR TELEPHDNES.

(Application filed July 26, 1900.)

(No Model.)

No. 66l,578.

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N0. 66|,578. Patented Nov. l3, I900. v w. A. FOSS. mu. COLLECTING DEVICE FOR TELEPHONES. Application filed July 26, 1900.! Q (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. i

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PATENT FFICE.

LIAM A. FOSS, OF CLEVELAND,

OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN TOLL TELEPHONE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TOLL-COLLECTING DEVICE FOR TELEPHONE S.

.AJIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,578, dated November 13. 0-

Application filed July 26, 1900.

.ZZ whom it may concern.- 3 it known that I,WILLIAM A. FOSS, a resiof Cleveland, in the county of Cuyaand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toll- Collecting Machines for Telephones; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same. My invention relates to improvements in toll-collecting machines for telephones, and more especially to a macnine of the character indicated designed for use with a long-distance telephone.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a toll-collecting machine wherein the toll-representing coin or check introduced into the machine participates directly in the operation of a signal that is audible at the telephone-exchange and which signal is not operated until the toll has passed into the machine beyond control of the operator.

With this object in view and to the end of realizing other advantages hereinafter appearing the invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a top plan of a toll-collecting machine embodying my invention, and in this figure portions of the top of the inclosing case of the machine are broken away to more clearly show the construction. Fig. II is a left-hand side elevation, mostly in vertical section, on line II II, Fig. I. Fig. III is a rear side elevation in section on line III III, Fig. I. Fig. IV is a front side elevation in section on line IV IV, Fig. I. Fig. V is a rear elevation in section on line V V, Figs. I and II.

Referring to the drawings, a designates the inclosing case of my improved machine, and 19 represents the top of the said case, that is provided at or near its rear portion with several slots 6, arranged in line at suitable intervals between the right-hand and left-hand sides of the case. The toll-representing coins or checks required in the operation of the machine are introduced at the slots 6, that difier in size,

Serial No. 24.878. (No model.)

. and consequently each slot 6 has the dimensions required to admit only the toll-representing coin or check of a certain denomination. Below and in register with and in close proximity to each slot 6 is arranged an upright toll-receiving hopper c. The series of hoppers are arranged in line, therefore, between the right-hand and left -hand sides of the case a, within the rear and upper portion of the said case. Each hopper c at its lower end is provided with a sleeve 7, that is integral with and formed upon the forward side and lower end of the hopper and fixed or operatively mounted upon a horizontallyarranged shaft d, that extends between and is supported from the right-hand and left-hand side walls of the inclosing case. All the hoppers are therefore mounted upon one and the same shaft that has one end extending outside of the case a and provided with a crank 8 or device for oscillating the shaft. chamber arranged at the rear side of the hopper-bearing shaft and is open top and bottomthat is, each hopper c has its lower end provided, preferably, with an outlet 9 at the rear side of its sleeve 7. The toll-representing coin or check adapted to be received by each hopper is introduced atthe slot 6 above the said hopper and dropped through the said slot into the hopper, where the said coin or check, if it is the proper coin or check for passage into the said hopper, will lodge upon two downwardly-converging shoulders 10 and 10, that are formed internally of the hopper a suitable distance apart longitudinally of the hopper-bearing shaft, and the said coin or check, if it is a smaller coin or check than that which is to pass into the said hopper, will escape between the aforesaid shoulders downwardly through the hopper and drop upon the bottom of the case without performing any function in the operation of the machine. The chamber of each hopper has the dimensions required to receive the toll-representing coin or check edgewise.

A suitably-applied spring 6, preferably a coil-spring, acts to retain the hopper-bearing shaft in its normal position, wherein one of the hoppers has its rear side engaging a lug 13, projecting forwardly from and formed upon Each hopper c has its toll-receiving the rearside wall of the case a Thespring e is arranged uprig'htly belowtheshaft, has its lower end attached to the case a, and has its upper end attached to one end of a chain 5 f, that has its opposite end attached to the shaft and leads from the spring .to and over. therearside of the shaft, so that the spring when the shaft is oseillated'forwardly, as -re-' quired to tilt or oscillate the hoppers forwardly, is placed under tension.

Within the forward portionof the inclosing case are provided as many gongs or sound yielding instruments 9 as there are toll-receiving hoppers, and the said instruments are X supported from the forward wall'of the case a in any approved manner. g:is arranged .tozhe struck andsounded-by a Each instrumenthammer 72, that is journaled upon ahorizontally-arranged rod 70, that extends between; and is supported from :the right-hand and left-hand side walls 'ofthe case a.

struments g are journaled therefore,-upon;one' and the same rod is, and each hammer is provided with an arm 12, that projects wear-5 wardlyinto the sweep of the toll-representing; coin or checkadapted to-be:recei'ved, carried,

and dumped by a tool-receivingi-hopper c.

.15, .toexpose the coinorcheck receivedand:

lodged therein at-the forward-side-of;the;hop-; per'and toaccommodate the location and top-1 eration :of the hammer-arm 12, arranged ;to' betengaged by the forward side of the .said. coinor checkduring the forwardly-tiltingqor; toll-dum ping operation ofthe, said hopper, so

that when the hopper isoscillated forwardly,

as requiredto dump the tollzreceived thereby: into the lower portioniofthe case a, thetollw representing coin orcheck wilhhave its :for-

wardside come into engagement with the up-; 4 per side of the said hammer-arm 12;and.there-f upon tilt the respective hammerawayfromg the opposing gong or sound-yielding .body asi shown .in dotted lines, Fig. II, until thehopper hasz'been oscillated farenough t0:become disengaged from and pass below the said. hammer-arm, whereupon the elevated hammer will by the actionof the spring acting to retain the hammer'in its normal ;position be forciblythrown against the said gong or sound-yielding body, and thereby :signal 'or: notify the telephone-exohangethat theproper toll has been introduced into theemachinebeyond the control of the person desiringtouse; thetelephoneprovided with the said machine. 1 It will .be observed that atoll-representing coin or check carried by any hopper below andbeyondthejhammer.thatisoperateddireetlybyithelsaid coin :or eheclgcannot be withdrawn by a string or cord attached thereto, because a coin or check remaining in the hopper would upon the return of the hopperbearing shaft ,into its normal position bythe actuation of the sprin'g'e'com'e into engagement with the underside of the respective hammer-arm 12, so that any further return ,movement-ofthe coinor check, and consequently of the hopper and connected shaft, would be prevented by the said arm.

My invention comprises, broadly, a suitably-actuated toll-receiving hopper, means for actuat-ing the-said hopper in the direction and to the extent required to discharge the toll therefrom,za-ndrasignaling instrumentsuch, for instance, ,as "a {gong and a gongsounding ham me.r-arranged .to be operated directlybythe'tolhrepresentingcoin or-check during theaforesaid rtollsdiseharging move- Theham mers for soundingtheidifferentinm ent.,of the hQPDQI. In Figs. 1, J1, I liI andtIaVta toll-representing ,coin or check ;is shown in one of the hoppers, andtdesig-nates the :said coin or check.

What Lolaim ziS :1. A=toll+co1lectingmachine eom-pri-singan oscillating toll-receiving hopper, means for oscillating the ;h0p,per to the extent :required to discharge the toll therefron1,.a:gongor sound-yielding body, randa zsuitably-applied movable hammenhaving ran r-armlextending into the sweep-of the tolhrepresentingcoin or tcheckrso-as to result in the-operation of the hammerdirectly by thesaidrcoin oreheck duringithe toll-dischargingoscillation ;of the hopper.

2. A .tollacollecting maehine comprising an oscillating hopper for receiving the xtoll-representing cOin-or checkedgewi-se, iwhich :hopp.er:has :its :rear and forward side walls slotted,as .at l5,.-from {the dipper-edges, of the said wallsdownwardly; 'meanszfortoscillating the hopper; a gong or sound-yielding body,

and asuitablyrap plied tiltable hammenhav-ing an arm'extendingintoithezsweep of theslotted *portionsiof the aforesaid walls ,of the .hopper soithat aeoin ercheckiwithin the hopper shall come intoengagementwithithe said hammerarm at the slots in theaforesaid walls of the hopper during itheioscillation of the hopper into its toll-discharging:position.

3. Attollqcollecting imachinetcornprising a signaling device, a suitably-supported oscillating; shaft, a hopper rfixed upon {the shaft and adapted to, receive; the said toll-representing coin ,Ol:Oh.6Gk, aneans .forzQseillating the shaft, an ,inclosing ease havinga .-slo.t.regis tering with the h,opper,;a coil-spring arranged belowzthe shaft-land having its ilowertend attachedto theinelosingcase,;achain attached to .the upper iendnof the-spring and leading thence to the rear side of andoveritheshaft to which thetchain is fixed.

.4. A toll=colleeting machine comprising a horizontally-arranged shaft, several toll-receiving hoppers fixed upon the shaft, means for oscillating the shaft, gongs or sound-yielding bodies, and mechanisms for sounding the different sou nd-yielding bodies, respectively, and arranged to be operated by a toll-representing coin or check Within the different hoppers, respectively, during the toll discharging oscillation of the hoppers.

5. A toll-collecting machine comprising an inclosing case a having a top provided with slots 6; an oscillating shaft d; hopper 0 fixed upon the shaft means for oscillating the shaft;

means acting to retain the shaft and attached hoppers in their normal position; gongs or sound-yielding bodies g; the rod 70 and the hammers h journaled upon the said rod, all arranged and operating substantially as shown, for the purpose specified. V

Signed by me at Cleveland, Ohio, this 18th day of July, 1900.

WILLIAM A. FOSS. Witnesses:

G. H. D RER, A. H. PARRATT.

sclaimer in Letters Patent No. 661,578.

' DISCLAIMER.

6 61,578. William A. Foss, of Cleveland,' Ohio. IMPROVEMENT IN ToLL-CoLLEorING DEVICES FOR TELEPHONES. Patent dated November 13, 1900. Disclaimer filed October 25, 1901, by the present assignee, The Baird Manufacturing Company, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Illinois.

Enters its disclaimer- To the subject-matter of claims 1 and 2 of said Letters Patent, viz:

1. A toll-collecting machine comprising an oscillating toll-receiving hopper, means for oscillating the hopper to the extent required to discharge the toll therefrom, a gong or sound-yielding body, and a suitably-applied movable hammer having an arm extending into the sweep of the toll-representing coin or check so as to result in the operation of the hammer directly by the said coin or check during the toll-discharging oscillation of the hopper.

2. A toll-collecting machine comprising an oscillating hopper for receiving the toll-representing coin or check edgewise. which hopper has its rear and forward side walls slotted as at 15, from the upper edges of the said walls downwardly; means for oscillating the hopper; a gong or sound-yielding body, and a suitably-applied tiltable hammer having an arm extending into the sweep of the slotted portions of the aforesaid walls of the hopper so that a coin or check within the hopper shall come into engagement with the said hammer-arm at the slots in the aforesaid walls of the hopper during the oscillation of the hopper into its toll-discharging position.[ Oflicial Gazette, October 29, 1901.] 

